Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus that obtains a tomogram from each of two or more image groups each including a series of tomograms, and between which tomograms are related to each other, and that displays the obtained tomograms arranged on a display screen, and also to an image display program used in such an apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Cases where a series of tomograms of a patient is obtained, for example, along the body axis of the patient by an imaging apparatus, such as a CT apparatus, an MRI apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, and medical diagnosis is performed by using the tomograms have increased in recent years.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-124895 (Patent Document 1) proposes a technique used in observation of a temporal change of a diseased part of a patient. In the technique, each of an image group of plural tomograms obtained on that day by imaging a predetermined range including the diseased part by using an imaging apparatus and an image group obtained in the past by imaging about the same region of the same patient is loaded. Further, a tomogram of that day and a tomogram of the past representing about the same slice position are related to each other by performing position matching between the image groups. Further, the tomograms related to each other are displayed in such a manner to be arranged on a display screen. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-043524 (Patent Document 2) proposes switching display by an input operation by a user that gives an instruction to switch tomograms, or automatically in such a manner that each of the tomograms related to each other is sequentially displayed at the same timing on the display device.